You’ve killed me

(from The Silent Patient)

Set Instructions: the stage is set with the right side as an art studio and the left as a living room. The art studio is filled with paint and paintbrushes with an easel set up in the center of the room and quiet calm music is playing in the background. In the living room, the tv is on and a candle is lit. the fire place is pushing hot air out near the couch. Thirty three year old, Alicia Berenson, is sitting in her art studio with her easel in front of her, painting beautiful scenery with a lake in the background. She has on an apron with paint colors spread all over the front. Alicia’s husband, Gabriel Berenson, is a photographer and out working. Alicia has long blonde hair, pulled back in a loose pony tail. Alicia’s phone starts to ring, and she jumps up and answers. Its Gabriel, and he’s calling to tell her he won’t be home for another hour. Alicia turns her head to see a flashlight pointed towards her, shining across the stage, with a man, Theo, standing behind it. Theo is dressed in black. Theo is at Alicia’s house to warn Alicia about his wife and Gabriel’s affair. Theo has a gun in hand.

Monologue:

Alicia: (terrified) what do I do? It’s the same man that has been watching me the past couple of weeks, but now he is walking toward my front door. (grabs her phone, the gun in the kitchen, and runs upstairs) (you hear the sound of glass shattering) ( the spotlight shines on her)

Alicia: oh my God, he’s in my house. He just broke into my house. (screams) I’m going to call 911

Theo: Alicia, come down stairs. I won’t hurt you (the spotlight shines on him and the gun in his hand)

Alicia: (I’m not moving till the cops get here. (starts to walk downstairs, knife in hand, when her husbands gets home. When she gets down there Gabriel is tied up and sitting in a chair)

Gabriel: Alicia is that you??

Alicia: (pause) (running to Gabriel, she is knocked down by Theo and then tied up onto a chair with Alicia’s and Gabriel’s back facing each other.

Alicia: (panicking and breathing heavy) why are you here? What are you going to do to us?

Theo: I am here to tell you, Alicia, about your husband and everything he’s hiding from you. Gabriel, go ahead and confess.

Gabriel: (lying) I don’t know what you’re talking about.   

Theo: (pause) (clicks the gun to let them know it loaded) if you don’t confess, one of you is dying

Alicia: Gabriel please, just say whatever needs to be said

Gabriel: there’s nothing

Alicia: please don’t shoot him

Theo: (pointing the gun at both their heads) Gabriel, I kill you or Alicia. You can choose.

Gabriel: (pause) (quietly but firm) I don’t want to die. (whispers) choose her.

Theo: (shoots a bullet into the ceiling making Gabriel think he had shoot Alicia and runs out the front door. The neighbor across the street calls the police)

Alicia: (walking off the stage) he would rather me die then him. Maybe Theo is right. Something’s going on. He’s hiding something. He just said he didn’t want to die, meaning kill me instead. (picking up the gun Theo left behind) (shoots Gabriel in the head 5 times) He killed me with his words, all I did was pull the trigger. (the lights dim)